Conventional filling nozzles are used as a filler valve for a contactless liquid filling apparatus, such kinds have been known as those described in a first and a second patent document. Filling nozzles described in these documents are constructed as follows. That is, a flow straightening plate with a multitude of fine holes formed therethrough with one or more meshes that are built into a hollow nozzle body as flow straightening members for straightening the flow of liquid injected through the nozzle body, so that an effect of straightening the flow of filling contents can be obtained by means of a buffering or damping action thereof, and at the same time, the liquid is retained by the reticulations of the meshes due to the surface tension thereof particularly when the filling of liquid is stopped, thereby preventing the liquid from dripping.
However, in case where the content of the liquid to be filled or injected contains highly viscous and fibrous materials, the viscous and fibrous materials clog the meshes and are unsuitable for filling or injection. If the mesh sizes of the meshes are made larger, the clogging thereof can be prevented, but it becomes impossible to prevent liquid dripping at the time when the filling or injection is stopped.
Accordingly, it is considered to deal with liquid dripping by adjusting the size of fine holes in the flow straightening plate to such an extent as to allow the viscous materials and the fibrous materials to pass therethrough and at the same time making the length of each fine hole longer to a certain extent. However, with the conventional flow straightening plate, there arises a problem that the liquid flowing out from outlets of the fine holes becomes independent and liquid streams flow out therefrom in a shower-like manner, with the ambient air entrained therein, the result is that a stable liquid flow can not be obtained. If the density of the fine holes is increased, the individual streams of liquid from the fine holes will be able to be converged, but there is also a limitation in increasing the density of the fine holes.    First Patent Document    Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2003-205911    Second Patent Document    Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2004-182245